As the Nautilus Book Awards enters its 19th season, the program continues to offer authors and publishers an opportunity for success for their books as they are reviewed, evaluated and acknowledged in a different way than they were when they were newly released into the marketplace.

The Nautilus Awards has a unique three-tier system of judging books that offers a deliberate course of examination and scrutiny designed to sort and separate books, as they are measured against a carefully prepared list of notable characteristics. This process is long and labor-intensive. It is carried out by three teams of highly qualified, experienced reviewers whose successful careers as editors, writers, librarians, schoolteachers and bookstore owners are matched with a passion for books that offer new ideas and options for a better world for everyone. We honor these special people for their dedication and commitment to the Nautilus Awards program.

Each book is evaluated by at least two judges at each level. Silver winners are nominated from each category by the readers in Team #2, and these titles are then passed along to the third team where the Silver, Gold and Grand Winners are chosen. It is for this reason that we ask you to send us four copies of your books. We need one copy to have for reference in the office - thus, when you enter the same book in multiple categories, we only need three additional books in each of those categories.

This is a multifaceted process that is carefully monitored. Each judge uses our meticulously prepared Evaluation Form for judging each book, assigning individual scores to a long list of parameters that will determine the rating for each book. Two judges must agree on each Silver nominee. Consensus is also required at the third level for the Silver, Gold, and Grand Award Winners.

In most instances there are several Silver and one Gold winner in every
category. However, because our judges work from a rating system that
requires a certain score to achieve the status of a Nautilus Silver or
Gold winner, in some years we do not have a Silver or a Gold Winner in a
category. This same system of rating also allows the judges in special cases to
award two books with equally superior ratings for a Gold Award.
Therefore, occasionally we will have two Gold winners in the same
category. For books with unusually exceptional high ratings, a Grand Winner may be
selected in the areas of: Adult – Children /Mid-Grade /Young Adult – Self Published, and
Small Press. In addition to the Nautilus Grand Winner Seal, the Grand Winner is awarded a cash prize.

Each of our judges has been through our in-depth training program that
addresses all phases of reviewing and evaluating books. Each judge has
been carefully interviewed, is required to attend our annual Reader's
Workshop, and is paid a stipend for their participation in the judging
process.

We have evolved our judging process over the past 19 years, and continue
to expand and improve our parameters and our system of evaluation. It
is our purpose and intent to seek, review, acknowledge, and celebrate
books that we feel best support our goal to
offer life-affirming options with imagination and possibility to a
world that longs for a new story.

Gold and Silver Awards, and one Grand Winner Award are given to print books of
exceptional merit that make a literary and heartfelt contribution to
spiritual growth, conscious living & green values, high-level wellness,
responsible leadership and positive social change, as well as to the
worlds of art, creativity and inspiration.